Don't Be A Stranger
by OWLZ
Summary: "I just wanna see how long she can keep this up," he said as he watched her black hair bob back into the crowd, the wig doing nothing to hide her true self.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: 16 words: Junior year, drama, school work, family issues, guys who can't appreciate a good thing, and finals.

'Nuff said.

* * *

It was private sporadic times like this when she allowed herself girly moments. She couldn't help it as excitement bubbled over the edge; jumping up and down in a circle, bouncing on her toes.

She faced her bed to do one last run over, just to make sure she had everything she needed.

Clothes: check.

Wallet: check.

Phone: check.

Tickets: check!

It was her dirty little secret not even her closest friends knew about. Not even her partner. And she'd be damned if she lets him find out. Stupid smug '_i told you so_' grin.

If anyone found out she actually had a decent taste in music and decent Saturday nights, they'd never let her hear the end of it.

* * *

He was sitting on the couch. Well, more like dominating it with all his limbs. He sprawled all over the couch leaving no room for her, so she just sat on the floor with her back against it. Every now and then she'd glance at their crooked clock on the wall, doing a mental countdown.

It was Saturday so any minute now Soul would get a call from Black Star, demanding he come keep his god entertained, and she'd be left with the apartment all to herself. Maka had come to expect Soul back well past midnight, sometimes not coming back until the next morning. Soul never invited her to come hang out because 1) Black Star might not survive their "play date," and 2) he knew there was nothing she'd rather do more than snuggle up in bed with a book. Apart from him, Maka wasn't exactly the social type.

A sudden vibrating made Maka jump, the pages of her book fluttering as it fell out of her lap. She looked behind her to see Soul pulling his cell phone out of his sweatpants. He flipped it open and grunted while she leaned over to retrieve her book.

"Sup 'Star."

Maka could hear the obnoxious yelling emanating from the phone and tried to stifle a giggle as Soul held it away from his ear, grimacing. When the yelling had died down somewhat he put it back and tried to talk over the hyperactive ninja's incessant chatting. Maka listened tentatively.

"Shut up, 'Star! I can't understand you when you don't frikkin breath," he huffed.

Maka's giggles were met with an icy stare but otherwise ignored.

"You what?"

She watched curiously as Soul's annoyance ebbed away and soon made room for shock. Then disbelief. Then shock again. Finally settling on pure pleasure.

"Dude, seriously?," Soul laughed. "How the hell did you manage that? You're broke!"

_Uh oh_, Maka thought, _this can't be good_. She turned completely around on her knees, all interest on trying to decipher what Black Star was rambling on about. Soul leaned away slightly when she tried to get closer, obviously seeing her intentions, and stuck his tongue out at her as she furrowed her eyebrows. He just waved her away, but she remained firm as she sat on the edge of the cushion.

"Okay ,okay where's it at?," he looked hurriedly at the clock, "Sweet, we can make it in the next 40 minutes. Get ready, I'll swing by and pick you up…..Shut up, dumb ass."

With that he snapped his phone closed and threw it on the coffee table, distantly taking note that it just slid across the top and landed on the floor. Maka had to scramble out of his way as he jumped up and over the back of the couch and ran towards his room.

"What's going on? ," Maka yelled at him, his door left ajar. She could see shadows of clothes being strewn about as he was undoubtedly shoving through piles of clothes on his floor.

His voice was muffled when he answered, so he must have found something semi decent to wear.

"Black Star got us tickets to that concert I wanted to go to."

Maka was slowly making her way into the kitchen when Soul came barreling out of his room and headed for the bathroom. "You mean the one you've been whining about for weeks because we didn't have the money to pay for it? ," she asked as his rushing blew stray strands of her hair. He just laughed and slammed the bathroom door. She could hear the faucet start running and few curses as loud thuds clattered on the tile floor. She shook her head at his child like anticipation and proceeded to get a glass of water.

She stood there in the kitchen slowly sipping, thinking about the tickets. The cheapest ones, Soul had said, were $160: not something they could afford right now. He had tried to reason with her that when considering how popular the band was, those tickets were pretty cheap, but she couldn't be swayed. Especially when he wouldn't even tell her who the band was, simply saying "you wouldn't know em, you're not cool enough."

Maka mildly ignored his comment, blood starting to simmer again, when Soul finally finished in the bathroom and speed walked into the kitchen. In all honesty, he looked a mess. He obviously looked rushed and his hands fumbled as her tried to button up his shirt. Maka smiled to herself at how frustrated he was getting (the buttons didn't deserve such a cussing out) and decided to take pity on him.

She set her glass on the counter and pushed his hands away with a "don't hurt yourself." He growled half-heartedly at what she implied, but let her help him. He worked on trying to somewhat smooth out his hair, oblivious to Maka's slight blush. He was wearing a black tank top underneath his shirt, but it did little to hide just how fit he was.

Focus on the buttons, Maka, focus!

She finished the last button, third from the top like he always wore it, and gave his shoulder a little pat. Soul gave up with his hair and gave a smile in thanks, then hurried to the living room to find his shoes. Maka went back to drinking her water. Finishing it, she set it in the sink to be washed later and turned to meet Soul walking back into his room, shoeless. He tossed her his vibrating phone which she caught easily.

"Answer him, I'm busy." This time his door was left wide open and she watched in mild amusement as he dove under his bed, searching for his shoes. Maybe now she'll get him to clean his room, seeing as he can't find anything.

She opened the phone and looked at the caller id. Black Star. And a picture of him and his stupid hair. She pressed send and groaned, preparing herself.

"Hey, Black Star. It's Maka."

"Maka? Where's Soul? Your god wishes to speak with him! ," came the haughty reply.

Maka sighed, developing a twitch. "Nice to hear from you too! And wish not granted, he's busy trying to find his shoes," and louder so Soul could hear her, "Maybe now he'll listen to me when I tell him his room would be more manageable if it were clean!"

She watched as he tried to get out from under the bed, a loud thud resounding when he hit his head, the usual string of curses as he rubbed it, and the 'shut up, pigtails' when she started laughing. She went back to the phone.

Apparently, Black Star had heard everything because he was laughing too.

"Hyahaha! Tell Soul he amuses me. And because he amuses me, I'll even pay for food once we get to the concert. I'm such a giving god-"

"Yeah, yeah Black Star. I know," Maka rolled her eyes. Then had an idea. "Oh hey! What band are you going to see tonight?"

She could hear Soul sputter 'don't tell her anything!' from inside his room, but it was too late. Maka could feel her blood run cold with the sudden cumbersome situation.

"W-who?"

* * *

"That looks really cute on you, Maka, but could you please tell me again why we're here?"

Liz watched Maka twirl in an eyelet summer dress, definitely not her style, with tired and confused eyes.

The ashen blonde girl had called the eldest Thompson in a panic, words rushing together. All Liz could make out was that she needed her help and to meet her at Patty's favorite boutique a.s.a.p. Thinking Maka was finally embracing today's fashion, she heartily agreed. But she wasn't prepared for Maka's true motive.

"I don't need it to look cute, Liz, I just need people to not recognize me," Maka stated again as she went back into the changing stall. "And we're here because I need a disguise."

Liz rubbed her temples. She could feel the headache coming if she didn't get answers soon.

"Okay, so hold up," she started, "You're going out somewhere tonight. Somewhere where people might recognize you. And you don't want them to. So you need me to help you find an outfit that disguises who you are? Am I getting this?"

Maka came out from the curtained room, this time in a floral pink dress. She smoothed it down, looking in the mirror, as she answered Liz. "That's correct!," she chirped.

"Who are you trying to hide from?," Liz questioned.

Maka met Liz's eyes through the mirror, but dropped them again when she saw a piercing stare. "I'm not trying to hide from anyone," she said nonchalantly.

Liz came up from behind her and wrapped her arms around the small girl's shoulders. "Are you being harassed by someone, Maka hun? Cuz you don't need to go to these extremes: hiding yourself when all you have to do is tell Soul. He'll beat the shit out of anyone who tries to-"

"I'm not being harassed, Liz! Jeez!," Maka flushed furiously. The mention of Soul's name reminded her of why she was there in the first place.

Liz frowned at Maka's reflection, but eased up. She unfurled her arms and went back to plop down in her set, taking a deep sigh. "Can you at least tell me where you're going?"

It was Maka's turn to sigh. "That's not really important! I just need you to-"

"Not important? ," Liz exclaimed, looking insulted. "Maka, it makes all the difference! Knowing where you're going will better help me find an appropriate outfit! I mean, for all I know you're going to a sex bar! I can't have you go in THAT," she gestured to the pink dress, "That basically screams 'I've been tapping my grandmother for years!' - "

"LIZ! ," Maka gasped, redder than a tomato. She looked embarrassed as a nearby sale assistant awkwardly shuffled away. Quieter this time, she walked over to Liz and grabbed her face with both hands.

"I. Am. NOT. Going to a s-sex b-bar. Okay?"

Liz squinted her eyes, searching Maka's for anything that said she was lying. She didn't find anything, so she nodded to let the girl know she was believed. Maka let Liz's face go and slumped in the chair next to her.

"So…where are you going then? ," Liz couldn't stop herself from asking, ignoring the way Maka slumped further into inexistence.

Her pigtailed friend quickly looked around the store. The clerk was gone and Patti was happily gushing over giraffe printed panties in the lingerie section.

Maka leaned over her arm chair and Liz leaned into her to hear her as she whispered.

"You can't tell anyone. Especially Soul!"

Now Liz was seriously interested, but she eagerly nodded her head for Maka to continue. She took a breath to ready herself.

"I'm going to a concert."

"…"

"…"

"Who?"

"Mumford & Sons."

"…"

"I won the ticket on a radio trivia challenge."

"…"

"…"

"I didn't know you liked that kind of music…"

"Well, Black Star is always making fun of my folk music isn't he?"

"Yeah, but… Mumford & Sons are folk _rock. _Difference."

"Oh…Will you still help me?"

Liz leaned back to look at Maka. She'd have never guessed Maka would be into that stuff, but then again, Soul was bound to rub off on her. Better in this way than in others, she decided.

She was never particularly close to Maka. Sure, she admired the girl's strength and talent, but Liz had never really been the one she'd confide in. And with the way Maka was looking at her, as if she'd really be angry with this new found interest, she considered it an honor.

"PATTI! ," Liz snapped her fingers and immediately her energetic sister appeared. They both glanced at Maka.

"Maka here needs a new hairstyle. Find her something nice, please."

"Okey dokey, Captain!" Patti mock saluted and Maka watched silently as she hopped to the hair care and wigs.

"Okay, girl," Liz said, recapturing Maka's attention. "Let's get to it!"

* * *

A/N: Hey Guys!

Please don't hurt me. I know it's been a long long long long long while, but hey! Now that school's out and both of my parents are in work I'll have oodles more time to write!

So, regarding my other stories: They are all on hold for now bc the laptop that I have them stored on is dead. Blah. Went to the computer store in the sky. And I have no idea how to extract all my information from that hard drive so I have to wait until my mom has time to teach me or just do it for me

But for now I'll be working on this story. Hopefully it makes up for how I've neglected you so. Beginning might be a little slow and rusty, haven't written in a while XD


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: FINALLY DONE WITH TESTS! Yesterday, I took my last one (chem, ugh) and we had a stupid fire alarm right in the middle of it!

I failed my trig regents :"( But I'll take it next year with no complaints, I didn't really understand it anyway. Still, this is the first big test AND class I've ever failed. I won't stop till I pass it!

But summer has officially started and I wanna write! Lucky you guys XD

* * *

"Okay, you have your phone?"

They were parked right outside the entrance. Maka watched the people file in absently while Liz played mother hen. She rattled off questions- "you have your phone, you have your money?"- while digging through Maka's little purse, checking to see she really did have them.

"I don't think I can do this, Liz."

The Thompson sister's hands froze and she slowly lifted her head to stare at Maka aghast.

"Don't do this to me now, Maka! Don't frikkin do this to me! ," she pleaded.

Patti's head bobbed up from the back seat. "You can do it, Maka! ," she sang encouragingly.

It did little though to cool Maka's nerves. She could feel her stomach jump with every person who walked by. She was looking for _him._ Or anyone else who knew her, for that matter.

Liz sighed impatiently. "Just get out of my car and go have fun." She reached across Maka's stomach and grabbed the door handle, forcefully swinging it open and almost hitting passerby's in the process. She roughly handed the girl her purse and pushed her shoulder, making her exit the car.

Waiting for Maka to desperately avoid falling flat on her face, Liz tried to say something that'd make her feel more at ease. Except for Patti, she wasn't really used to being comforting. The Brooklyn streets ran too deep.

"If anyone bothers you, call me. I'll come get you. And don't worry about someone recognizing you! You look so "not Maka" it isn't funny!"

In truth, she looked nothing like her normal self. Always one for flowing clothes, it was a struggle to get her into skin tight skinny jeans, sparkly tube top, and heels. Liz had reasoned that simply changing the clothes wouldn't do much for her appearance. Maka had to agree, and it was only because of that that she warily tied on…breast enhancers. One of her most notorious features was her small breasts, so no one would think twice about her two cup sizes bigger chest.

And then there was the hair. She was convinced black would not look good with her complexion; her skin was just so soft and pale the back would completely wash her out. But Patti's choice wasn't half bad: a short bob.

While checking herself over for any missed Maka-ness, she realized something.

"My eyes, Liz! What about my eyes?"

Liz's own eyes, which were currently glaring the crap out of some guys who stared at Maka as they passed, flashed to Maka's. "I don't think we have to worry bout that," she said.

"Lots of people have green eyes and yours aren't exactly a rarity."

Liz waited for Maka to shut the passenger door then peeled off, nearly gunning down innocent pedestrians. They swore at her but she was already around the corner.

Maka turned around unsteadily. The thin straps of her hells dug painfully into her foot, but she bit her tongue. _It's worth it_, she chanted, _it's worth it_. With her purse in one fist and the ticket clutched tightly in the other, the young woman took wobbly steps, trying not be swept away by the excited crowd entering the gates.

All the people around her chattered animatedly about how "stoked" they were and how "boss" this concert was going to be. Maka could never get a grasp on today's lingo, but the overall aura of this group was enough to make her smile, understanding enough to be just as excited as them. For the moment, her fears were forgotten.

She smiled eagerly at the man who took her ticket, absently telling her to enjoy and quickly ushered her inside. She was taken aback at the mass of people who took over the concert lawn, but then what did she expect. Maka took in her surroundings, eyes wide with the wonder of her first concert as the flow of the crowd guided her to the back. From there, she could look out on the entire space. The stage was tiny, but she didn't mind about actually seeing the band members or not. She was there for the music.

Whether it was made by man or machine, if its sound pleased her, Maka listened.

Not even five minutes after claiming a spot did the first opening act come on. A group of young men to her right cheered rowdily and started to sing along; strings of "high fivin' mother fugger" chorused. She didn't know the band and just assumed it was a local one. One man yelled "Jason, Jason!" implying he knew that band mate personally. Maka chuckled a little as they clapped the loudest for their friend on stage.

Maka looked from one group of friends to another, now noticing she was the only one standing alone. Her heels began to hurt from the pressure of the heels. Seeing as there was nothing else to do, Maka sat down on the grass with her knees up to her chest. She rested her forehead on them and waited patiently for the real show to begin.

People walked past her, taking no more notice than it took to step by her. She was a rock in a stream and they flowed around her effortlessly.

From the left, Maka heard yelling. Not interested enough to actually look, she listened to what was starting to turn into a fight. "You've had enough to drink, get out of here," she heard a man say.

Another man replied with jumbled slurs, but otherwise complied. Footsteps crunched through the grass in her direction. They were just about to pass her when he stumbled and she was jolted by a cold splash of liquid landing on her shoulders and neck. She yelped as she quickly lifted her head from her knees. The man was face down in front of her and only groaned.

Maka stiffly crawled backwards away from the grounded drunk. She stood up and gripped her now freezing arms. Jaw slack from was just transpired and body shivering from the cool breeze torturing her soaked skin, it took everything in Maka not to kick the defenseless man.

Too occupied with her own suffering, she barely registered it as the blue haired man staggered to his feet, stumbling a few steps more and making his way away from her. _He didn't apologize! _, Maka fumed. He didn't even acknowledge the fact that he spilled his beer all over her. She watched him fumble through the crowd in disgust.

"Jesus Christ…"

A voice moaned from behind Maka. A voice that made her body about 50 degrees colder.

" 'Star! What the hell man?"

The voice was now next to her, talking to her now, but she didn't dare turn to it.

"Sorry bout that. Show hasn't even started and already he's drunk," the voice laughed nervously, trying to make slight of his embarrassing friend's actions. Maka didn't respond. She couldn't. All bodily functions had stopped working.

"Uhhh… Look, you're soaking wet," the voice said awkwardly. She could imagine him rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hey, come with me, I'll get some paper towels. Kinda try to make up for that idiot."

He grabbed her by the shoulders suddenly, turning her towards him. For a second, Maka considered just running away, but she knew she wouldn't get far in these shoes. She had no choice but to confront him and hope Liz's magic works.

"Yeah, again, _really _sorry bout him. He's just-…whoa…Maka?"

* * *

Cue overly dramatic music!

This whole chapter was based on my own first and only concerting experience.

$5 tickets + Flogging Molly + Beer + A whole bunch of Irish people (myself included) = Many a beer spilled on innocent 13 year olds XD

Still fun though

Expect the next chapter within the week!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: wazzup wazzup? Chapter 3!

Im putting a link in my profile to my deviant account if you guys wanna check it out. It's pretty minimal, but im working on posting some soul eater stuff soon.

And I just downloaded gimp so I'm a happy camper

* * *

"_Hey, come with me, I'll get some paper towels. Kinda try to make up for that idiot."_

_He grabbed her by the shoulders suddenly, turning her towards him. For a second, Maka considered just running away, but she knew she wouldn't get far in these shoes. She had no choice but to confront him and hope Liz's magic works._

"_Yeah, again, really sorry bout him. He's just-…whoa…Maka?"_

Crap…

She froze like a deer in the headlights as Soul looked her over, mouth hanging open. She had better think of something quick. Soul dropped his hands from her body and continued to gape at her. At least with his hands gone it was easier to think. She tried to smile as though she didn't know him, but it felt awkward. "Uh…"

"Soul, buddy!" The drunken guy from before, who she now realized was none other than Black Star, swayed precariously towards Maka, hanging onto her shoulder for support. She faintly noticed above Black Star's breath Soul's eyes lock on to Star's hand which was now tightly gripping Maka's shoulder, and then glared at the drunk slightly annoyed.

"Aw man I missed you thiiiiiiis muuuuuch Soul!" Black Star attempted to hold out his arms to express just how much he missed Soul, but rethought it and grabbed the girl's shoulder once more before falling backwards.

He looked at Soul, and then at his hand, and then back to Soul. And then back to his hand. Then for the first time that night, he looked at Maka. Had he just now realized it wasn't Soul he was hanging onto for support?

"Whoa, Soul," he slurred, "Who's your friend? Nice tits."

Soul slapped his hands to his face, trying desperately to hide his embarrassment. Just because it's true doesn't mean it's right to say. He heard a loud thud and an 'uff.' Peeking through his fingers, Soul saw Black Star's lifeless body sinking into the grass. He quickly pulled his hands away and whipped around to see the angry brunette storming through the crowd. He looked back at his poor sap of a friend.

He could help him up and then follow that girl, but then Star might do something stupid again. Soul pondered which be uncooler: leaving his drunk friend cold or leaving a cold girl to suffer from what his drunk friend had done to her. Looking at his friend again, Soul figured he'd be safer on the ground where he couldn't hurt anyone else, or himself for that matter.

"Sorry man," he sighed at his now moaning comrade, then turned to follow the Maka resembling girl.

Soul had to push his way through groups of people, swaying to the music the third opening act was dishing out. He was getting more and more frustrated as he struggled on, trying to catch glimpses of a black bob over peoples' heads. Finally having enough of being pushed around, Soul just growled at every person in his way. It did the trick as they were too scared to anything but make way for the charging, white haired, red eyed beast.

He broke out of the crowd and into empty space, hunched over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He tilted his head up and saw that he was back at the little beer stand Back Star had been kicked out of. The owner behind the counter eyed him warily. Soul ignored him and straightened up to look around the empty path. The mass of people had been smart enough, or sober enough, to leave a trail from the entrance to the beer stand to the bathroom.

He didn't see the girl.

Deciding to start somewhere, he followed the paved walking path behind the bar to a set of bathrooms. The bathrooms were inside the wall encasing the entire concert area, only the bathrooms had roofs. A single lamppost stood between the ladies' and the mens', along with a trash bin and paper towel dispenser.

That's where she was standing.

"Hey," Soul greeted casually as he walked over to her. He saw her little body turn rigid as he came to stand in front of her, across the bin. She relaxed a little but was still stiff as she continued to rub the towel over her arms.

"Need help?," Soul asked, lowering his face to her level and tilting it to the side. She looked up from the trash timidly to look at his face. He was giving her that grin she'd often seen him give other girls in their class, the weapons who'd come asking for help with weapon stuff. The ones who genuinely needed help, not the ones who were trying to get with him. It was a helpful smile: it said "Sure I'll help, but don't expect some long lasting friendship from this. This is totally platonic." It was the only smile she allowed him to give other girls. Anything more would get a Maka Chop for being 'perverted.'

It was a tiny bit weird to see him giving _her_ that look, but then again, she wasn't his partner right now. She was just some girl at a concert whom had beer spilt on her by his friend. Still, his eyes didn't have to be that soft and gentle.

"Here, let me get your back. I don't think you can reach."

Soul took the damp paper towels from her hand and tossed them into the trash. He stepped around the bin and motioned her to turn around while he grabbed some dry towels. Maka turned dutifully and raise her hands to shove her pigtails out of the way. But she didn't' have pigtails, it was a short bob. She laid her hands firmly by her sides, feeling Soul's gaze on her back and grasped how exposed her neck was. She felt her face warm up and shut her eyes closed with embarrassment. Surely he could see how red her neck was! If he did, he didn't mention it.

Soul gently patted her back dry as an awkward silence hung over them. He cleared his throat a couple of times and the girl shifted from foot to foot.

"So," Soul started, pausing to clear his throat again. After taking a breath to calm himself, he started again. "You like Mumford & Sons?"

That was safe topic, right? It was totally cool to talk about music to a girl you barely know. Just to make small talk.

"Yes," said the girl.

"Yeah. Me too," Soul replied. The uncomfortable silence came back.

He finished drying her back and threw away the towels. The brunette turned to face him and he waited expectantly.

She had her face down so that her bangs covered her eyes, but he could see the blush on her cheeks. Good, this was just as embarrassing for her as it was for him.

"Thanks," she said bashfully and began to walk away.

Soul reached out to stop her, but she was already out of range. "Wait!," he called after her. He watched her skid to a stop, but didn't move towards her. He figured she'd just want to get away, go enjoy the concert which had now finally begun, but he needed to know. He needed to be sure.

"What's your name?"

The question resounded off the walls of the small secluded space and rang back in his ears. He must be coming off as some creepy stalker. Not cool. The silence seemed to go on forever and he thought she wasn't going to answer, but then she spun to face him. She lifted her head to look him in the eyes. Eyes. Those green eyes. It was the only thing about her that caught him off guard. They were too much like _those _eyes he knew so well. Everything else about this girl said 'no, it can't be,' but he wasn't sure.

"Medea," she said, but it sounded like she was asking him instead of telling him.

Yeah, of course it wasn't her.

"Oh…I'm Soul."

He gave her a lopsided grin, trying to tell her she could go now, but she didn't move. She just smiled back. Neither of them moved to close the gap between them; they kept their distance.

"What you said before," the girl said to him, "Back there with your friend. You called me someone. Who was it?"

Soul thought back to that moment that seemed like hours ago and remembered how he let those eyes get the best of him.

"Uh, yeah! I thought you were someone I knew…"

"Oh? Who?," she asked, leaning her head to the side. Soul coughed uncomfortably.

"Just…a friend of mine. You remind me of her."

He let his mind be filled with Maka and put an image next to this girl. Yeah, just the eyes. And the way she took out Black Star.

"Oh…that's nice," she said, not really knowing how else to respond to that. Soul watched her as she started walking backwards, back towards the concert and the rest of the world. She waved at him and smiled.

"It was nice talking to you and…stuff. Enjoy the concert!"

She disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Despite her run in with Soul, the rest of the night ran smoothly. Since the meeting outside the bathroom, Maka hadn't seen him or Black Star once, so she was free to enjoy the show in peace. Every now and then she looked around the massive crowd of people, but never caught even a glimpse of them.

She bobbed and swayed with the people around her, laughing with them as though they were close friends. It was weird at first to her, how comfortable she felt with these strangers. No one was here to fight, get mad when someone stepped on their foot, or get extremely drunk (well, except a few). Everyone was here for the same reason: the music. It connected all of them in a way. Nobody told Maka to shut up when she started singing aloud and off key. In fact, some people immediately next to her all linked arms and sang with her.

It was exhilarating. She felt like the quirky side kick in movies shed watch as a child; how they'd "never felt so alive!"

It was sad when it was over, but it was fun while it lasted.

That's what she felt as she waited outside the concert hall, out on the cold street. She watched couples and friends hug and go separate ways, all slowly coming down from the high. The people she had sung with recognized her as they too left and gave her a hearty wave, to which she returned.

She pulled out her phone to look at the time. It was one in the morning and Liz was on her way to get her. Again, Maka didn't see Soul or Black Star amongst the people filing out, but she wasn't too worried. The few times she had seen Star drunk, she knew he'd be ravenous after sobering up some. While he and Soul were out eating, she'd have plenty of time to get home and into bed.

A faint breeze blew down the paved sidewalk, making Maka shiver. She pulled her arms closer around her body and waited silently for Liz. All around her, voices blended together and she closed her eyes, lulled into a sleepy feeling by the hum. It was soothing.

"Oh, hey! You're still here?"

The peace was short lived. Maka's eyes snapped open and she swiveled her head to her right sharply and was met by white hair and red eyes. She looked past Soul and saw Black Star who was looking between her and Soul inquisitively. Apparently, he didn't identify Maka as the girl he harassed in his drunken stupor.

Maka looked back at Soul. He was doing that smile he does after a good meal. She smiled. "Yeah, I'm just waiting for one of my friends. She said she'd pick me up."

"Oh," Soul looked up and into the street, searching for a car he didn't know. "If they're gonna be awhile, you wanna grab something to eat? Mr. I-gotta-get-shit-faced-drunk over here is starving." He jabbed his thumb in Black Star's face. The ninja looked at it, offended, but otherwise ignored it to stare at her. And stare. And stare.

Maka blew him off. "Sorry, I can't. They'll be here any minute." She tried to ignore the look of obvious dejection on Soul's face for looking out for Liz's car.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and unfolded her arms to get it. It was a text from Liz. Maka was in the process of telling her to park around the corner (just in case) when Black Star sputtered furiously.

"Y-you. You're that girl with the n-nice-"

He slapped his own hands over his mouth and continued to spaz out. Maka and Soul just stared at him, dumbfounded. Finally, he composed himself long enough to whisper to Soul "I'm gonna go eat now" and then ran down the street. The two were left alone and both couldn't help but chuckle at Black star's antics.

"Took him long enough," Soul laughed.

Maka giggled. She put her phone away again and clutched her body once more. It wasn't so cold now, what with Soul's body heat next to her.

Their laughter died down and then fell into a comfortable silence. It was completely different and so much more welcome than the silence between them at the bathroom.

Together they watched the street become more and more deserted until they were the only two left.

Soul looked around them, noticing they were the only ones now, and quietly rubbed the back of his neck. Maka wished she was out of these heels.

Soul broke the silence. "I didn't see you after you left," he said just above a whisper, trying to act nonchalant.

Maka stop the giggle that escaped her mouth. It was just too easy. "You were looking for me?," she teased.

From her peripheral vision, she saw Soul's cheeks were tinted red and it made her burst out laughing.

"Wha-No! I was just-," he spluttered, having a Black Star moment. He found it best to just stubbornly shut his mouth and wait for her to stop laughing.

Maka's laughs died down as she turned to face him, wiping tears from her eyes. Distantly, she worried about running mascara, but Soul's pouting brought back a small fit of sniggering.

"It's okay," she chuckled. "I was looking for you too."

She watched as his expression softened considerably and he looked at her shyly. He was smiling now, almost as widely as her. Her stomach knotted as she looked into his eyes. She saw hope. And it felt wrong.

Her smile fell a little into more of a pleased line and she turned her head away so that she couldn't see his eyes. All of a sudden, she felt dirty. She felt like a liar, taking advantage of Soul like this and flirting with him. But at the same time the butterflies flew happily in her stomach with the looks he was giving her. She became more aware of his body heat.

So caught up in her inner turmoil, Maka didn't even notice Soul had place a hand under her chin. He gently pulled her face near his, forcing her to look back into his eyes. What she saw there sent a pang of guilt raking through her body, underlined with pleasure. His eyes rendered her motionless.

His face slowly inched towards hers. She didn't have much experience in these kinds of things, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what he was doing. She knew he was going to kiss a stranger he met at a concert. She knew he thought they didn't know each other. She knew that kissing him back would be wrong. _So why is my body moving me forward?_

She felt his hot breath on her face and it was so good. _How many times have I imagined this scenario?_

Her eyes fluttered closed as the space between them got smaller and smaller. _How long have I wanted this?_

She was so close to getting what she'd always wanted. Emotions and senses threatened to make her head explode and the blood under skin boiled. Soul brought his other hand up to cup her face and every nerve sang.

She's wanted this so bad, and yet…

Suddenly, there was a vibrating sensation against her thigh.

Maka's eyes burst open at the unexpected feeling. Soul was still so close to her and his eyes were still closed. She could see though all drove to kiss her was gone with the mood. "Sorry," she whispered. He groaned quietly as he gently pushed her face away and dropped his hands. He turned away from her and shielded his face with his hair.

Guilt washed over her.

She quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and answered. "Hello?"

"Is the coast clear?" It was Liz.

"Oh..." Maka looked at Soul who was now staring up into the sky. His face was blank, but his cheeks were lightly dusted. "Yeah, I'll be right there."

"Okay, hurry up. I need my sleep."

_Click._

Maka snapped her phoned shut and opted to zip it up in her purse instead of her pocket. She stepped closer to Soul and folded her hands in front of her shyly. Embarrassment hung between them. Soul looked at the sky while Maka stared at his shoes. "My friend's here," she whispered. She watched his shoes face her.

"Yeah, it's late. I better go find my dumbass friend."

She nodded. "Well, um…it was…nice meeting you, Soul."

He sighed. "You too, Ma-…Medea."

She didn't want to leave, not yet, but she couldn't keep Liz waiting. She dared to look up at Soul, but he was staring off to the side. She nodded again and started to walk away.

"Good night, Soul."

Her heels clopped loudly on the pavement. The sound bounced off the buildings, emphasizing how alone she was. It hurt to go, like it was the last time they'd be seeing each other. She knew this feeling was irrational, they'd see each other tomorrow morning, but she couldn't shake it.

In a way, it _was _the last time they'd see each other. It was the last time he's see her like _this._ Tomorrow she'd go back to being Maka, his book worm partner. No more music inclined, fashion forward Medea who was free to flirt to her heart's content.

_It was sad when it was over, but it was fun while it lasted._

"W-Wait! Medea!"

Maka cursed herself for spinning around to his voice so quickly.

"Yes?," she asked a little breathlessly.

Soul took a few breaths. Here goes nothing.

"There's a free concert coming up," he said, "This Monday at 4."

She knew what he was going to say, but it still made her heart skip a beat.

"Promise me you'll meet me there?"

A huge smile broke out on her face, showing her elation. Soul returned it. Maka shook her head vigorously. "Yes! Yeah! Sure," she laughed.

"Okay! Cool!," he laughed too. "See you then!"

"See you," Maka waved after him as he ran down the street in the direction of Black Star.

* * *

"So how was it?," Liz asked.

Patti softly snored in the backseat.

The streets were deserted. All the shops were closed. Lights turned off in apartments windows. The stop lights blinked yellow and the car slowly cruised underneath them. Every other lamppost was lit, coloring Maka a dingy yellow as they passed. She smiled at the starry night sky.

"It was exceptional."

* * *

A/N:

Gah, that felt like a long chapter. Was that a long chapter? It felt like it. Mah fingerz!

It also felt kinda slow. Was it slow? I thought it was slow. It was slow, wasn't it? Slooooooow.

But at least it's done. I put off cleaning my room the whole day to write this. I await my mother's impending doom, but it's all for you guys X3

Like I said in the above A/N, I have GIMP.

I desperately wanna do some Soul Eater stuff and post it on my deviant account(link will be put in my profile. Please check out my stuff!). Encouragements will get my butt moving to draw stuff :D

I am currently working on a picture of Maka as Medea, so that'll be up during the week…..maybe.

If anyone wants a little challenge, figure out why I chose Medea as Maka's "stage name" and I will….I don't know, draw something? For you? Maybe let you choose what you want? And post it on deviantart?

Eh, probably. But I have some conditions on what I draw:

1) No sexual stuff. Sorry, but I just don't feel comfortable writing or drawing that kind of stuff.

2) Asura x Maka love….I refuse…..it's wrong!

I'll also take requests for other drawings. I draw faster when people are expecting/counting on it. But I warn you, it'll probably slow down the progress of this story. There's only so much time in the day


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yeah, so I told some of you that I'd maybe have this chapter up by Monday, buuuuuut that obviously didn't happen XD glad I didn't promise it!

Went rving with the fam. It was awesome! And I got a Finding Nemo plate!

FINDING NEMO IS COMING OUT IN THEATERS IN 3D OH MAH GAWD I'M SO EXCITED!

Sorry…..I love finding nemo…A LOT.

Just started my English 12 online summer class today. Priorities have shifted and the class comes before stories, so updates might be one a week;)

On to the story! Chapter 4 babehz!

* * *

The shade of the tree was the perfect antidote to the stifling heat. Perched on her bench under her tree with her book, Maka watched as her friends sweated out one last basketball game.

The teams were the usual: Soul, Black Star, and Patti against Kid, Tsubaki, and Liz.

Immersed in her stories, Maka mildly tuned out her friends' bickering. Kid had traveled, Black Star accused, and Liz threatened to beat all of them to a pulp if they didn't get on with the game.

Maka huffed as their arguing started to grate on her nerves. Normally, she'd be there acting as referee, but today she couldn't concentrate. Even her lengthy novel couldn't capture her full attention. All her thoughts kept going back to last night. The music, the people, the booze. That almost kiss…

"Bookworm! Get yer ass over here! Your god demands your referee abilities!"

Pulling the pages up to her nose, Maka openly ignored Black Star, who continued to yell for her. Only did he stop when he saw all of the opposing team and one of his one had left the court to refresh.

Liz sauntered over to a cooler next to Maka's bench and tossed out waters. Black Star and Soul had opted out for a one on one match, but Patti and Kid hungrily chugged down their drinks. Tsubaki gave a small thank you and plopped next to Maka.

The raven haired girl twisted the bottle cap, the bottle snapping and crunching as she did. Nobody really said anything. It was a happy tired silence as they all listened to Soul and Black Star's taunting. Occasionally, the ball bounced off the court and into one of their laps, but they were otherwise undisturbed. After some time, Killik bumped into them and joined in a game of HORSE.

A soft warm wind blew through the leaves, pockets of sunshine briefly shining through the gaps before disappearing again. Birds chirped animatedly. A pair of rowdy squirrels played tag in the branches above Maka's head. Sighing contentedly, she placed her closed book in her lap. She leaned to the side slightly, just enough to rest her temple on Tsubaki's shoulder. She closed her eyes, the sun lighting the backs of her eyelids bright orange. Sometimes blackness would flicker across them with the passing of birds or the rattling of leaves.

All in all, it was a beautiful day.

"Oh, Maka!," Tsubaki exclaimed, effectively stopping the girl from nodding off. It was better that way, Maka decided, as it was too early in the day to sleep.

"How do you think you did on that oral report for Professor Stein?"

Maka's ears perked up with the talk of school, something she hadn't thought about all weekend. She lifted her head to tell Tsubaki about embarrassing report when Killik interrupted them.

"DUDE, YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?"

She knew what he was talking about, so she didn't follow as fast as the others as they whipped their heads around to gawk at the boys. When had Kid joined them? Why was Black Star face first on the floor? Can Soul's face even get that red?

Soul ripped the ball out of a shocked Kid's hands. "I didn't say that," he muttered as he turned to effortlessly shoot it through the hoop. "S" he said, but no one was paying attention to the game anymore.

Kid and Killik glanced knowingly at each other before drilling Soul.

"Where did you come across her?"

"Is she hot?"

"When will we make her acquaintance?"

"She's hot isn't she?"

"Why didn't you notify us of this sooner?"

"She's hot, right?"

"Is it that girl from the concert?," Black Star mumbled weakly from the floor.

Soul violently slammed the basketball away from him and off the court, before turning to the boys.

"Yes, it's that girl from the concert. No, she is not my girlfriend. We're just going to a concert together. To, you know, hang out."

"You mean, get to know each other better," Killik laughed.

The girls watched from the bench as Soul chased Killik around the court, trying desperately to punch him in the face. Black Star had recovered from whatever sent him to the floor and continued to do the same to Kid, who had done nothing.

Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki turned to Maka; they all had the same look of friendly worry on their faces. They all knew of Maka's slight fondness for her partner and had cheered her on for years.

The ashen haired girl ignored their looks and just watched silently as the boys went for an all-out dog pile on a shrieking Kid.

"Maka…" Tsubaki placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, wanting to console her.

She shook her head, her pigtails making little thud noises as they smacked against her cheeks. "It's okay, Tsubaki. I already knew about this…I'm actually hoping it works out for him."

"Come on, Maka," Liz spoke up, "You don't have to be like that. We've all been through a broken heart before. Don't run away from your feelings-"

"No really," Maka interrupted, turning to smile brightly at Liz. "It's fine. Because I'm the girl he's talking about."

She turned her head again to watch the boys, still smiling. From her peripheral vision, she could see Liz mouth the word "denial" at Patti and Tsubaki.

"I saw that," Maka laughed.

Liz huffed in frustration, partly because she had no idea why Maka was so happy that her partner almost has a girlfriend and partly because she was caught. "Well, can you please tell us what the hell is going on?"

"Yes, please," Tsubaki agreed.

"Explain!" Patti exclaimed.

Maka motioned for Liz and Patti to find room on the bench.

"Remember how I needed you help last night?"

* * *

Soul was sitting on the couch watching tv when Maka came out of the shower. Towel in hand, she shook out her hair as she padded down the hallway towards the kitchen. She tossed her towel onto their small dining table and went to get a glass of water. Opening it, she was surprised to see the usual gallon was gone.

"Hey, Soul?," she called from inside the fridge.

"What?" She could tell from the way he answered that he was only half listening.

"Where's the water?"

Soul grunted as he heaved himself out of the mushy couch cushions. Maka closed the fridge door to allow him access into their tiny kitchen.

"There're some bottles up here," Soul mumbled as he opened a cabinet too high for Maka to reach. He pulled down a pack of water bottles and handed one to his partner before putting the rest in the fridge.

He was about to walk out and back to his show when Maka called out to him.

"Wait, can you open this for me?"

Soul chuckled haughtily as he turned back around and snatched the bottle out of Maka's hands. "Seriously? You can fight pre-kishins no problem, but can't open a frikkin water bottle?"

He outright laughed when Maka gave him her signature 'I'm going to kill you' look. "Shut up, Soul!"

After a few seconds, Soul's laughter died down into frustrated grunts as he too couldn't open the bottle. "What the f-"

"Hah! Not that easy is it, tough guy!" Maka teased.

"Shut it," Soul huffed, twisting and mangling the bottle. Maka turned to the counter behind her and opened some of the drawers. "Maybe a knife…" she mused, searching through the drawers.

"I don't need a knife! It's just a bottle," Soul whined. Maka ignored him.

"I think I…almost…got…it…"

A deafening _pop_ resounded through the kitchen and water splashed everywhere. Soul jumped as the bottle in his hand exploded. Maka yelped with surprise and shock at having a suddenly soaked back.

The two stood motionless in the kitchen, water dripping off of various cabinets the only sound. After the shock wore off, Soul raised an open palm to wipe water off his face.

"Got it," he said nonchalantly.

Soul looked around the kitchen, assessing the damage. Everything was dripping with water, including Maka's back. "Oops," he muttered.

"Shut up, Soul, just shut up. Get me paper towels," Maka hissed.

Soul carefully hopped out of the puddle of water he was standing in to grab a fistful of paper, then hopped back over to Maka. As soon as he was in range, she snatched them out of his hands and twisted her arms awkwardly to dry her back. Soul watched amusedly for a while before giving in and helping her.

"Give me those," he chuckled as she forced them out of her hands. Maka tried to stop him, she could do it herself, but he just ignored her. Maka gave up and shut up as he dabbed the paper towels on her shoulders.

It was awkwardly silent, and Maka felt a slight sense of déjà vu. This sensation, these actions, they were all oddly familiar. When she finally placed them, redness crept in to color her face.

Soul cleared his throat. "Move your hair," he said.

Maka obeyed. She reached behind her to part her loose hair around her neck. The towels crinkled as Soul rubbed her neck dry, a bit roughly.

The pressure left her neck and Soul took a step back. "Here," he said and Maka turned around to see what he was giving her. He threw the paper towels into Maka's face before sauntering through the kitchen and into his room. Maka let them fall to the floor and yelled after Soul.

"Hey! Come back here and help me clean this up!"

"Why? It's your mess," Soul said lightly as he shut his door.

Maka ran after him, sliding on the watery floor and bracing herself against his door.

"How is it my mess?"

Soul's muffled voice answered through the door, "_You _just had to have water."

She growled and tried to shove his door open and drag him out by his ears and force him to help her, but it was locked. She grabbed the knob with both hands and jiggled it harshly, trying feebly to open his door. She could hear Soul laughing in his room.

"Soul! Open this door!"

"Don't think so," he chuckled. "Oh keep it down while you're cleaning. I'm going to sleep."

Maka mildly entertained the thought of not showing up to Monday's* concert as a form of revenge.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter. Took FOREVER to write X(

And I am eternally sorry it took so long to update. Hopefully it won't take so long to write the next chapter.

MelodyDTK guessed why I chose Medea as Maka's stage name, so she gets a picture! You can see it here: art/For-MelodyDTK-313272608

And check out my other stuff too I just uploaded a picture I drew of me and my cat yesterday. I'm just a beginner when it comes to drawing in gimp so they're not a good as if I had done them with pencil and colored them XD

okay, so i chose Medea because it means liar, secretive, crafty, cunning, sly, etc. It's perfect for her name because when she's this alter ego, she's lying to soul about her true identity and is leading him on to fall in love with a false person.

*EDIT: Thank you Animefreak8 for pointing out the concert is on Monday, not Tuesday. one thing i hate about writing is keeping track of time! gah, why can't everyone just have a TARDIS :P (for ppl who don't watch Doctor Who, that's a time machine: Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Ta Daa!)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Wow, more than ten days since the last update. Now I feel bad XD

My English class is moving along. We got the next book, The Scarlet Letter. So good! But it was an intense unit(that's why I couldn't post this chapter).

Also working on some art requests which are being put up on my deviantart. Again, please check it out:D

I also downloaded hypercam2 and have done my first gimp tut on youtube:D My username is FloofyKitteh if anyone wants to try it out, tell me if I need to improve things ; )

I've got an idea for a picture I wanna draw from this story!

Enjoy!

* * *

It was Monday, the day of the concert. Shibusen students had been graced with a three day weekend, only a few unlucky souls had missions. Maka had faintly remembered hearing some kids in the hall talk about a free concert on Friday, but she didn't pay any mind to it. Her thoughts at that point were only filled with Saturday's concert. Oh how far away that seemed from the present.

Maka was sitting Indian style on the apartment floor, pretending to scribble down notes in her trigonometry book. Soul was rustling around the kitchen, probably looking for a snack. When he found it, he sauntered into the living room; the way he moaned told Maka that just the sight of a school book gave him a headache.

"Geez, Maka! So not cool to do homework on a three day break!," he whined as he plopped into a mushy couch cushion.

Maka sighed at him and rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but if I take a break from studying I might miss an important lesson…or worse, become like you."

Soul scoffed at her then proceeded to chug his soda. After a long swig he belched loudly. Maka grunted in disgust but Soul ignored her.

"Well," he continued with his previous point, "You could at least get out of the apartment sometime. Go hang out with Tsubaki and the rest of em."

Maka remained silent, as did Soul. The sound of the pencil scribbles picked up in pace. Then, suddenly, Soul crushed his soda can and flung it onto the little table next to Maka.

"Or even go out with a guy! Find some uncool book worm and go to the library or something! Just stop it with the school work!"

Maka rolled her eyes again and placed her pencil on the open book. She turned her head to glare at her roommate.

"Sorry we can't all be like you, Mr. Cool Guy. Who goes on dates with girls he's never really met before. Girls who he only met once at stupid concerts. Girls he doesn't even know! But that doesn't matter to cool guys, does it? You probably have a bet going with Black Star to see who can get the most dates."

Maka angrily grabbed her pencil and began writing furiously. Soul fell silent, digesting what Maka had just exclaimed. Wasn't _she_ the one who telling _him _that he needs to get out more and go out with some nice girls? Wasn't _she _always telling _him_ that he needs to find a girl?

Soul huffed, half-heartedly trying to tell her he was annoyed. He heaved himself from the couch and made his way towards the door.

"Well, whatever. I was only saying that stuff cuz I was gonna ask you if you wanted to come with. To the concert and hang out with me and my friend. I hate seeing you cooped up in the apartment all the time and…well… we don't really hang out together like we used to."

The keys to the motorcycle jingled as Soul plucked them from the bowl by the door. Maka's writing hand had stopped moving when Soul started to speak, but she dare not look at him.

"See ya later," Soul partially whispered as he quietly snapped the door closed behind him.

Maka listened as his footsteps faded down the hall. Then she heard the motorcycle rev up, and soon that sound faded away also. She was alone in the apartment. And it was quiet.

She felt drained of emotion as she slid around to lie on her back. She stared up at the poorly spackled ceiling and sighed.

"Dammit."

* * *

She opted out of Liz's generous offer to drive her again. As she told the eldest Thompson, she'd much rather walk. It'd give her enough time to clear her head.

Her wedged heels clopped down the sidewalks of Death City as Maka made her way to the concert area. It was warm out and the sun was shining; she was glad Tsubaki pushed her to buy this sun dress. It was short and of light material, perfect for not baking in this heat.

As Maka walked on, each blocked that brought her closer to him blurred by. She was too wrapped up in her thoughts to pay any attention to passing vendors.

Her thoughts kept going back to her and Soul's small argument in the apartment. It made her face red at how ridiculous she was being. Why should she be jealous that Soul is going out with a girl when _she_ is that girl? Even if he doesn't know it.

Whether he knows it's her or not, Maka is still getting what she wanted. She was getting close to Soul on levels she had only dreamed of. She was enjoying herself and Soul didn't seem to mind either.

But still, there was unknown feeling in Maka's heart that wouldn't allow her to fully relish in the moment.

It was on the corner before the concert enclosure that Maka passed a couple of con artists. Two men, middle aged, dirty looking were preying on naïve tourists. It was the old 'where's the coin' trick. One unsuspecting man watched intensely as the three cups were shuffled around. When the cups stopped, he confidently picked the one to the far left. Only Maka picked up on the scammer's slight smirk. He lifted the cup to reveal its emptiness. The crowd booed the man's poor choice.

"Ah, that's too bad," cried the man with the cup. "I was sure you had it! But, if you'd like to put me up 10, I'm pretty sure you could get it the next time!"

The other man pondered it as his energetic posse cheered him on. He smiled brightly and exclaimed, "I'll do it!" to which the others cheered joyously.

Hook, line, and sinker. Another one falls victim to this selfish man's ploys. Maka's forehead wrinkled in frustration as she passed the group, but she couldn't for the life of her think anything bad about the con artist.

Maka rounded the corner and was met with full on sunlight in the face. She shielded her eyes with her hand and proceeded to search through the crowd of people going inside gates. Not wanting to get swept up and inside, she stayed to the far side of the sidewalk and waited until she could see Soul.

She heard him before she saw him. The unmistakable rumbling of his bike she could pick out anywhere. Well, Maka could, but not Medea. Medea had never seen Soul's bike, so Maka made it a point to look the opposite way of his bike. She only looked when it parked right in front of her, as she had predicted, and did a mock jump of surprise.

Soul steadied his bike to where it wouldn't topple over and turned it off. Maka took a step back as he dismounted and tried to fix his wind-blown hair. Maka smiled at how he could sometimes care so much about how he looks.

"Hey," she smiled up at him. Even though she was on the sidewalk, in heels, he was still taller.

Soul left his hair alone and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey," he smiled back.

Maka took a deep breath and looked at the gate, then back at Soul. "You ready to tackle that beast?"

Soul reluctantly moved his eyes from Maka's dress to the crowd filing in. He winced in artificial pain. Maka giggled.

"Maybe not," Soul sighed.

Maka chuckled. "Well, we better hurry up before it gets overcrowded."

Maka swirled around and started to skip towards the gates, but she was stopped by Soul grabbing her wrist.

"Wait," he said. Maka turned to him expectantly. He dropped her wrist and blushed slightly under her full attention.

"What's wrong? The concert is gonna start soon?," Maka piped.

"I was actually thinking…that um…" Soul began awkwardly. "You know, there's a lot of people in there and…being pressed against sweaty bodies is not cool. So uh, maybe we could go…somewhere else?"

Maka listened as the gates behind her closed and people cheered for opening acts. The concert hall was full and there was no way they'd be able to go in now, but she didn't care.

She didn't really care about anything as Soul pulled her by the wrist down the street to a mystery location.

* * *

A/N: I'm bad:D

God, I'm going through Doctor Who withdrawal. Netflix is not enough X(

Hrmmmm I am so tempted to post some art on GrigoriWings but I iz too lazy XD

My class is now reading The Secret Life of Bees. I'm excited:)

OHMYGAWD I WENT TO AN ALPACA FARM AND I BOUGHT A STUFFED TOY ALPACA THAT IS WEARING A KNITTED HAT AND I NAMED HIM SKEETER…he's cute :3

I feel so blah, that's why I ramble XD


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: We are nearing the end people! All shall be revealed! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

*ahem*

There is a poll up on my profile that I'd like you all to take a gander at, if ya don't mind :D

It would really help me with my stories:3

As I am writing the last chapters of this story, I have started another one shot. So when this story is over, you've got that to look forward to :D at least I hope XD

I've already posted the sneak peak for it

As I write this, the greatest thing is happening. A man is in my backyard putting down the final preparations for our new CLEAN CITY WATER! Now we don't have to rely on rain for our water supply, we can actually drink this water, we get no sulfur smell, and we just have all around clean and safe water! I am so sick of well water, you have no idea. I still can't understand how some people in my town were pissed and protested the water bill. I am so psyched!

Woot woot! Yeah!

On a side note, I have a question: if you are a girl, can you still be considered a brony if you meet all the other requirements?

Now, on to the story!

* * *

"Soul, seriously! Where are we going?"

Said boy just laughed, again ignoring her question, as the two teens ran down the street, Maka struggling to keep up. Now she wished she hadn't worn the shoes she had.

Small beads of sweat started to form on her forehead as the sun beat mercilessly down on them.

She didn't know how many blocks they ran, how many side streets they went down, how many traffic lights they tried to beat. All the beeping cars just blended together as they ran. Once, a small fair with amusement rides came into view and Maka hoped that was Soul's special surprise. But she could only frown and hold in her complaining as he tugged her away from it and into a small alley.

Finally, in between two large buildings and in the beautiful shade, they stopped.

Soul dropped Maka's wrist and took a few steps forward. Maka hunched over and settled her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. Now she had had enough. Medea was a good polite girl, but her patience was wearing thin.

"Can you please tell me where the hell you're taking me?"

Soul laughed wearily but continued walking forward. "Don't get your panties in a twist, it was worth the run."

Maka greedily gulped down mouthfuls of air. "What was?," she gasped, red faced.

He didn't answer, so Maka lifted her head to glare at him. But what she saw made her wheezing and huffing stop in its tracks.

There, at the end of the alleyway, was a tiny courtyard. It was the only source of light in the never ending corridor of shade. Even from where she stood, Maka could see that the pavement of the street turned to grass and cobblestone in the courtyard. There were two trees on either side of the opening, creating a partially shaded entryway.

And right smack dab in the middle of it all was a tiny brick building. One wall was completely covered in crawling ivy and trumpet vines, giving it the perfect cottagey feel. In the window next to the door, in gold painted script, read the word "_Books._"

Maka breathed in awe.

Here was the perfect sunny slice of heaven, hidden in a dark and dingy alleyway, and the world had no clue. The cars whizzing by made a faint breeze creep around Maka's ankles, the sounds of otherwise occupied street goers filled her ears. She was caught between the real world and a mystery.

"Hey slowpoke!," Soul's voice echoed. Maka hadn't even noticed he had walked all the way down to the space where sun hits shade. "You comin' or what?"

All of the fatigue she felt before disappeared as she scrambled down the alley, running like a little kid after the ice cream truck. When she was about halfway to where Soul was, she skidded to a stop and glared at her shoes. They really were a hindrance. She ran the rest of the way with them in her hands.

Soul watched amusedly as she halted before him. Her toes remained pressed against the line between dark and light. He walked ahead of her into the stone and grass, letting her decide on her own.

Maka looked back once again at the cars and the people. Just as she looked however, a man was pulled in by a dark shadow. The dark shadow, which she made out as another man, started to punch and kick the other one until he slumped on the floor. People walking by saw what was happening, but they chose to ignore it. Finally, the assaulter found whatever he was looking for in the man's pockets and ran away just as a police officer came to assist.

When Maka looked back down at her feet, her toes had made their way of their own accord into the sunlight. Confidently, she stepped into the sun.

She would choose any day to walk in the sun than walk with the liars and thieves of the world.

* * *

A small bell jingled as Soul pushed the wooden door open. Despite the sun shining outside, none of it spilled into the tiny space. It was shadowy and dusty.

"Hello?," Soul called out as he walked into the tiny book store, Maka close behind.

Soul stopped next to a counter and rested his arm next to an old antique cash register collecting dust. Maka gained more confidence in the tiny space and moved away from him, eyes wide with wonder as she looked around the room. Shelf upon shelf filled with books lined every wall. Every small reading table had worn books stacked on them, yellowing old newspaper sat in upholstered arm chairs, randomly discarded documents littered the floor. It was a plethora of reading material. Maka could hardly help the whine of pure joy that escaped her lips. Behind her, Soul chuckled and smirked.

"It's beautiful," she sighed turning back to him.

Soul opened his mouth to speak, but an elderly woman suddenly appeared from a curtained doorway. She smiled at Maka and nodded at Soul.

"Hello again," she smiled. Everything about her screamed fragile. She was shorter than Maka, but just as skinny. The skin in her face sagged daintily with age and it was riddled with wrinkles. Her clothes covered up most of her skin. Her hair was grey fading into white, pulled back into a tight bun. The gold of her glasses matched that of the paint on the window.

"Are you the owner?," Maka peeped excitedly. She was dying to ask for a tour.

The old woman laughed gently, but it sounded more like just plain old air escaping her lungs. "Oh! Oh no, dearie! I'd much rather be out there tending to my garden," she jutted her thumb towards the back of the small building.

Maka gasped, her eyes lighting up. "There's a garden?"

The woman smiled again. "Would you like to see it?"

"Um, maybe later Ellie," Soul interrupted, shooting Maka an apologetic smile. "Is your husband here?"

"Oh, he's in the back," Ellie sighed. "He's always in the back."

She pushed the curtains aside and slid through too quickly for Maka to catch a glimpse of what was behind.

There was some scuffling coming from behind the curtains, then an elderly man poked his head through. He smiled brightly, his thick brown glasses pushing up on his face.

"Ah, Evans! Let me just pop back and get the keys," he said, giving Maka a wave before his head disappeared again.

Maka looked to Soul for any clue of what was happening, but he just winked, indicating his silence. She growled a little but soon turned her attention back to the books. She walked around the room, running her fingers along the shelves. She shivered from the feel of old woolen spines under her fingertips.

When she pulled her hand back, there was dust caked on the ends of all her fingers. She turned her head sideways to read some of the titles. This particular shelf held all of Shakespeare's works. The next Edgar Allen Poe. And then on to Emily Dickinson. There appeared to be no system whatsoever in ordering the books; they were put on the shelves in a whimsical manner.

As she walked on along the wall, a book with a blank spine stood out to her. It was had a faded gray covering, very unlike the rest of the books which were shades of green, orange, yellow, and brown. She started to reach for it, to see what knowledge it held.

A low whistle stopped her hand midway. She looked back to Soul curiously and he just shook his head. She laid her hand back by her side, absently rubbing the dust off on her dress.

"Not yet," was all he said.

Maka looked back at the book longingly but decided she would find out its secrets soon enough. She walked back over to the counter, her bare feet plodding softly on the warm wooden floor.

She mirrored her companion and leaned on the counter, pushing a black lock behind her ear. The wig was starting to itch a little, but she didn't dare risk it moving around by scratching at it.

An old wood _coo_ _coo_ clock ticked on the wall. The numerals were so badly faded, the time wasn't discernible.

Maka was just about to ask what was going on when the old man shuffled through the curtains again. He was, Maka noticed with a smile, just as short as the older woman.

"Alrighty!," he was surprisingly spry on his feet, "Step this way, ladies and gentlemen!"

Soul pushed away from the counter and Maka eagerly followed. The pair followed close behind the old man as he walked determinedly to a side bookcase. Maka watched zealously as he stopped right in front of the blank book. She smiled softly to herself when she noticed his head barely cleared the bottom of the shelf. Nevertheless, the old man didn't even grunt with gripe as he reached up to pull the grey hardcover off the shelf.

Maka blinked a few times as he held it out to her, not fully comprehending what he wanted. She looked at him with owl eyes.

" 'S alright there, hun," he smiled tenderly, tiny crow's feet forming in the corners of his eyes. "Go on, take it."

He shook it heartily at her. "Ain't gonna bite ya!"

Maka looked at Soul apprehensively. He smiled again that toothy grin reserved for their private moments. And, again, that unusual jealousy built inside her. Just the thought that he could possibly smile at another girl like that bristled her feathers. And, just like all the other times before, she had to convince herself it was okay, it was still her, _Maka_, even if he didn't know it.

The book was heavier than it implied. It made her hand sink slightly with shock when she grabbed it, but she quickly made up for it. She studied the book as she weighed it in her hand.

She was hyper aware of the two men watching her as they gave her a moment to think things over. What was she supposed to do with this book?

She brought it up to eye level and turned it this way and that. Something small on the corner of the spine glinted in what little sunlight streamed in through the window. Maka squinted. It was a golden E.

"Who's E?," she puzzled.

_Click._

Maka jumped with surprise as the bookcase suddenly lurched open, caught by the old man's hand just before it could knock into her and Soul.

The man gasped in over excited joy. "You did it! You opened the door!"

Soul's face gave away how hard he had to fight back the laughter. Maka glared at him.

Did this man really believe a girl of her age would fall for a bogus parlor trick?

She quickly looked to the empty space the book left behind.

_Ah hah!, _she thought. A button.

The old man sighed, pretending to be hurt by her cleverness. "The youngsters always fall for that one…"

Soul patted the man's shoulder. "Those 'youngsters' are pretty damn young, Carl."

"Yeah, you're right," Carl sighed. His dejected mood promptly disappeared as he clapped his hands together once and rubbed them.

"Welp, on to paradise!"

Carl stepped between the two teens and pulled the heavy door open as he went. Soul stepped in first, obviously knowing what lay behind the hidden entry. Maka froze in wonder.

The bookcase door opened to reveal a tall cylinder shaped room with a winding metal staircase, leading only up. A light at the top of the stairs shone down on them, lighting their ascend.

Dust particles caught the light in alluring ways, throwing the tiniest of unexpected rainbows across Maka's face.

The dust and light carried her up.

* * *

A/N: Tumblr took me away from this chapter for longer than I care to admit. Because none of my friends share any of my interests, I have to turn to the internet. Which is why I love everyone who has read my stories and enjoyed them up to this point. You don't know how hard I smile whenever I get an amazing review or someone fans me and my stories.

It always reminds me that, yes, there are people out there who like the same things I do!

Soul Eater, Doctor Who, Avatar: Last Air bender/Legend of Korra, the list goes on and on.

Thank you people! Thank you!

No, YOU deserve a cookie XD

Now, side notes about this chapter:D

Special present for anyone who could find the irony here XD

Oh yes, that was Carl and Ellie you read there, it was. Up reference FTW!

Best Pixar movie after Finding Nemo:3

Reviews are to writers what tips are to waiters :D


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Waiting for Doctor Who to come back, waiting for Korra to come back, and I am gonna cry because I just found out Downton Abbey doesn't come back until January…sniff sniff…

Why you take so long?

So I've been thinking…

The WalMart Special got a lot of good feedback, so I'm possibly thinking of doing a follow up one shot, this time in Target and based off of my own recent encounters. Maybe? I don't know yet, it's not official.

I might not do it.

Working on drawing a scene from last chapter, I'll let you guys know when it's done and posted if you wanna see it :)

My poor kitty has something wrong with her eye:( Cry for her XD She's adorable.

There is this creepy little aphid that keeps smacking into my forehead while I'm trying to write! He's scaring the shiz outta me!

I do not own Don't Know Why by Norah Jones. Such a beautiful song, you should listen to it.

* * *

She honestly didn't know what she was expecting as they reached the last step.

Probably some more books. Maybe a heavily upholstered room with dozens of reading chairs.

At least _something_ book related.

She stood on the landing and looked about the hidden room dejectedly.

It looked like the attic of the tiny building, though a lot brighter than typical attics. There was a window on every wall and each had a window seat. The light poured in all over the walls and floor boards, a stark difference from the dark first floor.

Soul continued on into the room before Maka, but she stayed glued to the last step as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

The room was full of dusty old boxes. Some corners had been eaten away by mice, others had large water stains. Tucked away in a back corner was a simple black gramophone, much like the one in the Black Room. Its embellishments were also gold.

Beneath her, Carl's voice rang up the stairs.

"You two keep it down now," he laughed.

Maka's cheeks burned at what he could possibly be implying.

The yellow tinted light coming from the door disappeared as it once again became an ordinary bookcase.

Cheeks still pink, Maka peeked through the black bangs that fell into her eyes at Soul.

He was standing next to the gramophone, blowing any and all dust from its surface.

"He meant the music," he said casually, his back to her.

"I-I know that!"

Soul chuckled as he straightened up and made his way over to Maka, her face getting redder and redder by the second. "Sure you did," he drawled as he passed her and started to open one of the many boxes.

Finally moving, Maka walked to stand next to him. She peered into the box.

"What's in there?," she asked.

Soul grunted as he pulled out an old wooden chest from the box and placed it at her feet.

"Weren't you listening? Music."

He turned away from Maka and moved to a box on the other side of the room, pulling out another chest identical to the one at Maka's feet. She looked down at it curiously. "Go ahead and look through it. Tell me when you find something you like," Soul said.

Maka's cheeks puffed up with air as she struggled to carry the chest to the nearest window seat. Her arms about to give out, she unceremoniously dropped it onto the cushion. The force of it sent dust spewing out from the seams of the cushion, giving the floor a fresh coating of filth.

Gently this time, she placed her bottom next to the box and began to look through it. It had a faux lock, so she needn't worry about a key.

How many times in today would her eyes grow five times their original size?

Inside the box were a dozen or so vinyls.

Some with no sleeves, others never removed from the plastic wrapping. Maka giggled with excitement at the box of gems before her. Her hands seized the box and were eager to dig through its contents.

"Hey, move over."

She was so lost in that chest she didn't even realize Soul had been standing next to her. In his arms was a small box of cds. She looked up into his expectant eyes.

"You…wanna sit here?," she asked sheepishly, pointing to her seat.

"Yeah."

Her look of nervousness he mistook for uncertainty, so he added a small 'if that's okay with you.'

Cool guys were chivalrous, he decided, as Maka scooted as close to the glass of the window as was needed for them both to fit comfortably.

Maka tried to control her rapid breathing as Soul slid into the seat next to her, his arm and thigh pressing up against hers. She hoped to Lord Death he couldn't feel how hard her heart was beating.

Sneaking a look from the side, Soul didn't appear to be having anything like the reaction she was. His face was free of anything but a small content smile as he placed his own box in his lap.

When he turned to her to ask her a question, his face was too close for Maka's comfort.

"Are you okay next to the window? It's not too high?" In his head, Soul couldn't really believe how he could be such a gentleman, thinking all of that was left behind with his old life.

"'M okay," Maka squeaked, cheeks a beautiful pink.

Oh yeah, that's how.

Soul settled into his spot and got comfortable. His legs were too long to stretch out completely on the seat, so he just rested his feet on the wall in front of him. Maka, not knowing what else to do, mirrored his position, but her legs _could_ lie down flat.

They both quickly fell into a comfortable silence as they went through their music collections. Every so often Maka would gasp at an extremely old or rare record, running her hands across its cover. Soul would lean over and make comments about it.

After a few minutes of searching, Maka suddenly squealed, breaking the peace. Her sudden actions made the half asleep soul next to her jump violently, the box of cds crashing to the floor unharmed.

"Geh? What?," Soul mumbled deliriously.

A record was shoved into his face and he squinted as his eyes adjusted to the sudden proximity. It had a picture of a young beautiful woman with dark brown hair, the slightly curly locks cascading down her shoulders as she looked off into the distance. In the upper left-hand corner was written _Norah Jones_.

"I absolutely love this woman!," Maka declared gleefully. "And it has my favorite song of hers!"

Soul's rigid body relaxed as Maka gushed. Leaning his head against the wall, he took this opportunity to admire her.

As she talked, her black hair bounced around her face. Occasionally, a few strands landed in her mouth at which she hastily pulled them out. It made Soul laugh, how she'd take a few seconds to stare at the hair, as if it was foreign to her, before forgetting it and continuing with her talk.

The sun spilling in the window cast its light on her face, accentuating her perfect skin. If he waiting patiently, she'd turn her head more towards the window, and the light would play with her eyes. It was a green he'd only seen once before, the green that drew him to her, but it in the sun it was made of greens and blues and yellows. It made him feel like he was underwater with coral and tropical fish.

Every time some hair landed in her face, shielding her eyes, he wanted nothing more than to tuck it behind her ear. But he stopped his urges; he knew it was too soon to make a move on Medea.

"Please, Soul, go play it!"

Her question brought him out of his silent appreciation.

"What?," he asked.

Maka whined. "Go put this on!"

Soul looked again at the record she held out to him, then back to her face. Her eyebrows scrunched together and she worried her bottom lip in a way that made Soul's stomach feel funny. He cleared his throat and pulled the record out of its sleeve. "Sure."

Maka watched as he hopped off the seat and ambled over to the gramophone.

He lifted the needle and put the vinyl down carefully. He held the needle just above its ridges.

"What track number?," he asked. Unlike most people, Soul had an easy time setting the needle down at the right point, which he smugly didn't accredit to his time in the Black Room.

"Ummm," Maka turned the covering over and speedily read down the track listings. "Number seven!"

The gramophone speaker made a slight _click_ sound as Soul laid the needle in the correct position. The record started to turn and the recognizable fuzziness was emitted from the machine. Soul stood up and walked back to his place next to Maka. As he started to sit down in his spot, a piano and guitar started to spill out and fill up the room. Seated next to Maka once again, a woman began to sing.

"_I waited 'til I saw the sun  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I left you by the house of fun  
I don't know why I didn't come"_

The soft jazz song combined with Norah Jones's smooth vocals always lulled Maka into a sleepy peaceful state of mind. As piano notes drifted through the air, she absently laid her head against Soul's shoulder. Staring out the window, she watched as a few house sparrows jumped around in the grass. Her eyes slid shut as she felt a pressure on her head. With her eyes closed and a smile on her lips, Maka listened contently to Soul's breathing mixing in with the song. The angle of his head resting on hers blew his breath into her face, its coolness a temporary relief from the sun.

"_When I saw the break of day  
I wished that I could fly away  
Instead of kneeling in the sand  
Catching teardrops in my hand"_

Blood pounded in Maka's ears as she felt Soul slide his knuckles down her exposed arm. His hand left a trail of goose bumps as it went, and suddenly the sun lost all its warmth. All of Maka's body heat was now directed wherever his hand went.

She watched with half lidded eyes as his fingers ghosted above her wrist, they both held their breath as they pressed gently into her open palm. He opened his fingers and slid them across her skin until their hands were perfectly intertwined.

"_My heart is drenched in wine  
But you'll be on my mind  
Forever"_

Maka watched Soul's chest deflate slowly as he let his breath fan across her hair and face. Taking a chance, she turned her face until the tip of her nose pressed into the side of his neck. She saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, probably from nervousness. Then he did something she did not expect.

Soul leaned down until his face mere centimeters from hers. They both closed their eyes as he rubbed his nose against hers, his lips hovering just above her skin. Maka's lips parted slightly, wanting to taste him, but he never touched them. He just continued to rub the skin of his face into hers.

"_Out across the endless sea  
I would die in ecstasy  
But I'll be a bag of bones  
Driving down the road alone"_

She felt as though her head would burst from all the blood collected in it. Her heart beat faster and faster and her breathing became ragged as she turned onto her side to face him. Soul's free hand moved from his side to grip her forearm and pull her ever so slightly towards him.

Maka could barely hear the music above her heart as Soul dragged his hand up her arm, up her neck, and cupped her jawline. With his thumb, he pushed some of her black locks behind her ear. She fleetingly worried that at this distance, he'd be able to tell her hair was fake, but as she opened her eyes to look at him, she saw he wasn't concerned with her hair. He stared with hungry eyes at her lips.

"_My heart is drenched in wine  
But you'll be on my mind  
Forever"_

One of Maka's hands timidly made its way to the back of Souls' head, where it happily buried itself in his hair.

Slowly, he brought his mouth down to hers and looked into her eyes. She looked back at him and nodded faintly. Closing her eyes again, Maka gasped quietly as Soul gently pressed his lips to hers.

For the first few seconds, they just stayed like that, neither of them really knowing what to do. But steadily Soul gained more confidence and he started to move his lips against Maka's, giving her multiple small kisses. After becoming used to this new sensation, Maka gradually returned his affection, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss.

Her cheeks turned bright red from the soft moan Soul pulled from her; biting her bottom lip was a definite 'do.' In retaliation, Maka caught his top lip between both hers and tugged hard. Soul gripped her shoulder and took a sharp intake of air.

They didn't want to stop, didn't want this connection to end, but they both needed air badly. Swiping his tongue across her bottom lip for good measure, Soul pushed Maka's face away quickly. He bumped his forehead to hers as their breath mingled between them, both of them gasping for air.

"_Something has to make you run  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I feel as empty as a drum  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I don't know why I didn't come"_

* * *

A/N: Hrm, how'd I do for my first kissy scene? I was so self-conscious when I was writing this: is it too fluffy, is it not descriptive enough, is it just stupid… Gah! Here just take it! *shoves onto internet and runs away*

God, I don't wanna do my research paper X(

Because of the stupid paper (and the stupid people who are holding me back in the class so I can't take my final test for this book and get the next one!) I might not post the next chapter until after my paper is due, which is August 16th. You guys can wait…15 days right? Yes? No?...please? School is muy important (yes I quoted one of my reviewers).

But this isn't definite. I might be able to sneak some writing time in there somewhere. YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN I SWEAR!

And there's about 2 chapters left :D excited!


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